Best Ninja Foodi Meatloaf

Ninja Foodi meatloaf is the bomb! Juicy in the center with a crispy barbecue sauce on the outside. All cooked in this pressure cooker and air fryer machine. Just one of our favorite one pot dinner Ninja Foodi recipes.

How to Make Ninja Foodi Meatloaf

If you have only used your oven to make this Old Fashioned meal you are in for a real treat. You can now pressure cook it to tender and then air crisp the top with barbecue sauce so it caramelizes and bakes right on to the top. Beyond delicious is how I would explain this meal if you ask me.

This is one of the first meals we made in our machine when we first got it. I guess I grew up on this pan of hamburger comfort food so it was on my mind to see if I could make it even better than cooked in the oven and it was!! Nice thing is the texture is better and cook time for how long to cook meatloaf is less too.

Ingredients

1. Ground beef or you could use half ground sausage and half ground beef or turkey, your choice
2. Air fryer basket (use the one included) or use this air fryer grill pan
3. Bread crumbs will bind it all together, we used Italian style
4. French onion soup mix is an easy way to add flavor
5. A bit of Ranch dressing mix is something I like to add but optional
6. Dehydrated onions
   1. I prefer these because regular onions will add moisture
7. Garlic powder or other seasonings you love should be added
8. Egg will bind all the ingredients together
9. Barbecue sauce we like on the top, or ketchup to add flavor

Ninja Foodi Meatloaf and Potatoes Recipe

You can actually make an entire meal in this too with cubed taters on the bottom!! You follow the same directions except chop 2 peeled large russet potatoes into 1-2″ pieces and put into the bottom with the water. They will steam to very tender so you can make Ninja Foodi mashed potatoes with them when done!

• First you pressure cook your meatloaf so the meat gets done
  • Keep in mind the timing below cooks the meat so there is no pink left. If you like yours less done adjust timing accordingly.
• Then you’ll drain the water inside your pot, (set potatoes aside if you added them), return the basket with your meatloaf inside and pour barbecue sauce on top.
• Close your air fryer lid. That is the one that is attached.
• In 8-12 minutes the outside of your meatloaf will become wonderfully crusty like we like it here.
  • This is subjective so if you like it really crispy you’ll set closer to 12 minutes, or less if you just want a tad.

Should you pressure cook or air fry meatloaf in Ninja Foodi?

In our directions you are going to use both Ninja Foodi pressure cooker and air fryer functions. This way you get it as tender as possible inside but we do like a bit of crisp on the outside so a few minutes are at the end for that too. In the case you just wanted to use one, follow our air fryer meatloaf wrapped with bacon instead.

Can you make meatloaf into meatballs?

Yes! If you wanted this done faster in smaller forms use the same meat mixture to make this into bite size pieces with homemade meatballs in air fryer directions here. That is a fun one we enjoy as is with sauce on top for a meal or thrown in with spaghetti.

Why we love Ninja foodi meatloaf

• This quick meatloaf recipe requires no preheating of the oven at all.
  • Perfect when it’s hot outside and you don’t want to heat up your house.
• It is healthier because the fat drains away from the meat in the pressure cooking process.
  • There are holes at the bottom of the air fryer basket used.
• You can adjust how crunchy the outside gets easily.
  • The air crisp lid can be lifted up and checked often so it doesn’t burn. Adding more time is as easy and pushing a button.

Are you ready to try it now??!! Seriously, it is the only way we make meatloaf anymore. Forget the loaf pan in the oven, this is a game changer!!

What is the best side dish for meatloaf?

I would say our two favorite pressure cooker recipes to serve with this is either Ninja Foodi rice, Ninja Foodi air fryer vegetables or mashed potatoes. By way of vegetables I usually throw one of these in:

1. Ninja Foodi Broccoli only takes 1 minute.
2. Air fryer frozen tater tots smothered with cheese
3. Ninja Foodi spaghetti is amazing with melted cheese on top.

How to save leftovers

If you have leftovers, store in airtight containers in the fridge when it is cooled to room temperature. They will stay good for up to 3 days and can be reheated as is or chopped up and used in ground beef recipes.

How do you moisten leftover meatloaf? 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees
2. Spray nonstick cooking spray onto the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce, bbq sauce, or gravy in the bottom
4. Lay slices of your dried up meatloaf inside
5. Pour another thin layer of your sauce on top
6. Bake for approx 10 minutes or until it’s as hot as you desire